A couple of years ago, we visited Beijing. While walking around Tianamen Square, I noticed these street peddlers selling these magnetic magnets that looked the shape of elongated eggs, about palm size. They took these two magnets, flinged them up in the air, and they made a sizzling noise as they clinged together and landed back in the palm of their hand together. It was a neat little gimmick. I picked up a couple pairs of these magnets. My wife thought it was a little childish to be playing with these magnets. We then walked back inside the forbidden city, when we decided to stop inside a little eatery so I could have a Tsingtao beer and something to eat. I noticed in the table across the seats a Chinese lady and her 3 to 4 year old son. I told my wife to go over there and hand the mother one of these magnet pairs. But I made it clear not to hand it to the boy, but rather, to the mother. My wife then walked over to the Chinese lady and she got instantly thrilled that someone took notice of her little boy by offering a small gift. The mother came over to my table and asked us if she could take a picture of us while thanking us over and over. Which of course we had our pictures taken along with the little boy. She then walked out with the grandest smile you could see on a mother. I always knew that Chinese spoil their first born, especially SON and are super proud of them. In places like Bali, they look upon babies as almost holy and truly respect them. I never knew that such a simple gesture of handing a toy to the mother for her son would bring on such an exciting reaction. She view this gesture as a token of extreme luck. I had one pair of magnets left, and I told my wife that this was mine. When we later went to the Philippines, that toy made a huge hit and I regretted that I didn't buy a few more. They only set me back some 50 cents or a dollar for the two pairs of them. And this is why I like China. A smile is worth a million bucks.
